Passage of Lotus
by Kaiser Ryouga II
Summary: Based on the EX series. A drifting Kairi is being pursued by Garuda, who is after a death match. Meanwhile, after defeat by Shadow Geist, Sharon begins to question herself and seeks out someone she thinks can help her...
1. Passage of Rage

PASSAGE OF LOTUS

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"Is life a dream? Is reality an illusion? Are there an end and a beginning? There is only one thing I can be certain of … time catches up to everyone."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Battle One: Passage of Rage

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

200,000 dollars for the polishing off of a French politician? Surely he must have been joking. With a disappointed sigh, Sharon turned the dossier over and rolled those shining marble eyes of hers. Wrapped in a thin cream towel gently clinging to her damp flesh, Sharon flopped onto the comforting pillows of the sofa she had imported from Germany. Though she appeared to be in leisurely throws, Sharon's mind was troubled. The moment she relaxed herself, she began to think about certain issues. About her life, about her sister, about many things, but mostly, these thoughts were of her career. Being a professional assassin didn't come easily. 

And one of her more 'active' clients, Giovanni, had become one hell of a taskmaster recently. It wasn't enough to hire her for the elimination of a rival company owner, but now a diplomat? Even for Sharon, that was pushing it. Any fool could kill a conglomerate leader and leave with their hands stainless. But doing over a man in the public eye was a completely different story. 

Sharon sighed once more then stood up from her position on her couch. Her damp fingers ambled through some more of the loose folders at her coffee table. Anything to get some more work under her belt. It had struck her in the middle of her shower that Giovanni was not the only one who had requested her services recently. But it had struck her even harder to know that these requests were contemptibly fewer than they had been previously, say three weeks ago. 

Sharon idly scanned through each dossier, each one proudly proclaiming another highly paying assassination job and the details for each 'execution'. There were at least five, those that had piled up in the space of a few weeks. But that was it. Sharon was stunned by this when she first realized the meaning behind it. In previous seasons, her order would have been three times this amount. But not now. Not since that day. It was almost one month to the day since defeat had fallen upon Sharon. And with it her unblemished hit list finally bit the dust. 

All due to her defeat at the hands of Shadow Geist. 

The thin muscles in Sharon's face contorted into a scowl. It annoyed her to simply think of that ravenous beast. She could clearly picture him in her mind's eye. She could see that thick gleam of a grin carved into his face. She could smell that wafting scent of his, that powerful odour of testosterone and blood. She could still hear the sounds of his dirty, dry laughter, his demeanour exuding more of that casual over-confidence. 

It infuriated Sharon to know that her streak had ended at the hands of such a man. What made it worse was the hatred she felt for him. Sharon was not a good woman and she knew it. She killed for a living, she battled and murdered for all that was in her possession. She couldn't come out a proclaim her enemy to be evil when she had done nothing to epitomize goodness. But regardless, her feelings toward Shadow Geist were that of loathing and she did know herself to be better than him. What kind of madman kills for no reason? But in the end it didn't matter much. Sharon had been hired to end his life and she failed. Not only to kill him, but also to defeat him in face-to-face, hand-to-hand combat. It was one thing to miss her mark with the Assault Rifle, to fail with her own two fists, well, that just wasn't acceptable. The young woman stood up from her sitting position and walked over to the massive glass window of her penthouse suite. 

She placed one of her wet hands against the cool glass of the window and looked out on the scene below the building. Cars and trucks all buzzed through in the traffic of the bustling city street, while eager consumers and passers by strode along the pavements. Sharon had the power to kill all of them, effortlessly, whether she wanted to or not. It filled her with great pride, responsibility and fear to know that fact. But there was one man out there that she just didn't have the power to kill.

Sharon lowered her eyes. "That damn Shadow Geist."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

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"Mwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, heh!"

A mighty wind blew in from the west. The few blades of grass and the small leafless trees all shook with passion as the wind hurled itself into the small indent of this narrow, faceless and rocky canyon. There was no denying that this was the perfect place for an execution. The only trouble was performing the act. 

The legendary assassin of the Dame family, Sharon, fell to her weakened knees and gripped tightly at her waist. It had been bruised severely by that last attack. Her short red hair, fervently swaying in breeze, was now matted and tousled. Her normally flawless face was now twisted in irritation, the lines of agony and anger so clear framed in her visage. Sweat trickled down the bridge of her nose and down the temple of her skull. Those beads trailed down the outline of her jaw and neck, till they dissolved at the cleft of her breast, against the seductive rose tattoo of her chest. The smooth fabric of outfit had been torn and shredded as easily as anything she had ever seen, not even her raw defences could stand against this.

Sharon lowered her head, looking towards the sparsely grass-laden ground of this canyon. Her sweat dripped from her flesh to the dirt, bit by bit, while her body shook with more than frustration. She had fought stronger opponents before, and she was not so arrogant that she believed herself to be the strongest force on earth and therefore, unbeatable. But she had never been bested like this before. Why would God pass on such strength to someone so foul and contemptible as the phantom that stood in dominance over her?

Sharon's eyes rolled back up to look at him, Shadow Geist.

His cape rolled forward in the strong gust while his arrogant laughter became soaked within the beating chimes of that wind. Such a despicable man. Not even Sharon had the outright gumption to kill children of any background. But it came to him so easily. Shadow Geist was truly a man like no other. Someone who could kill without any hesitation or doubt. If he were subject to the career, he would be known throughout the land as the epitome of the goal that Sharon had been working towards her whole life. 

To become an 'Absolute Assassin'.

To be able to feel no shame, suffer no qualm, experience no guilt. That by far was the true path of an assassin, and this man, looking from the outside in, had reached that level with flying colours. Sharon would have felt some form of respect for Shadow Geist if she had not developed this sickening hatred of him.

Shadow Geist's dry lips parted as he finally spoke. 

"Leading me into this canyon was a brilliant move." He quipped wryly. "You isolated me from others. That way you could not only kill me without fear of being caught, you could also destroy any chance of me seeking help. But you acted without understanding the full potential of your opponent. Rather than sealing me away to do as you wish, you have sealed yourself to my whims and my mercy."

Shadow Geist then grinned, saying, "Not that I have any."

"Damn you!" Sharon yelled angrily. 

"Don't be resentful. You and I are similar, my dear. You and I are guests in the house of destruction. We both understand the joys and woes of killing. The thrill of annihilation and the sadness that comes with the birth of a new lost soul."

Sharon scowled, gritted her teeth, then stood upright, managing to hold her own on two legs. "I am nothing like you! You killed a child that had no intention of troubling you!"

"We are the same." Shadow Geist assured. "We both shed blood and revel in it. We killers know which path we walk along, it is the road of death. We are masters of death, able to conjure and control its power at will. The rest of the world is unable to grasp the intensity of death and nor its wretched parallel, life."

Sharon blinked. "What are you talking about?"

Shadow Geist smiled once more, unwrapping his hands from there crossed position and clutched his fist. A dark smog-like energy, spinning with colours of green and black, rose up from his clenched fist. Sharon watched with awe at the condensed form of Shadow Geist's raging Chi. 

"Those who have grasped and controlled the power of death, possess everything. We are masters of our fate because we transcend the cycle of life and death. We are mortal gods! And if you don't understand that, then you don't deserve the powers of a god!"

"You're insane!" Sharon yelled aloud. "You're not a god or some almighty being that can carve the world! You don't know anything about me or my power!"

Still, Shadow Geist continued to grin. "I see. Still feigning ignorance, eh? Be realistic. Do you honestly see yourself to be better or different from me because you kill for payment? Absurd! We are one in the same as gods of death. Money means everything to you, death is simply a consequence of earning it. And money means nothing to me, simply a deviation from the ecstasy of killing. These parallel differences are what shape the world we live in, my dear. I would expect that an assassin would so clearly understand the meaning of what it is to walk along the path of death. But you seem to have a long road to travel before you reach my level of enlightenment."

For the fist time, Sharon's anger was knocked back to a secondary agenda by Shadow Geist's words. Suddenly she felt as though what he was saying was starting to make sense. Did Sharon not understand the path she had chosen?

She was dumbstruck. "I am lacking?"

"It would seem so!" Shadow Geist bellowed. "To think. A god that didn't understand the meaning of her own power. It's ridiculous."

Sharon lowered her head. "No! I won't believe it! I am a true assassin! And that is not the way I see myself! There are no such things as gods of death! It's your own twisted fantasy that you use to cover up your own madness! I won't believe it!"

"Then strike me down and defeat me." Shadow said, calling forth the Deadly Rose. "Only the winner will be the one who is proven to be right."

She didn't have to be asked twice. Sharon tightened her fists and began charging at Shadow Geist, who remained still and calm as she approached. Her gun had been tossed aside in the battle, so she would not have the benefit of its power. But at this point she didn't feel as though she needed it. Sharon continued to advance, and gathered strength in her left leg. It would be difficult to perform Sharon Special at her current level of strength, but-

"Yah! Sharon Specia-"

"DEATH ENERGY!!"

The Deadly Rose saw nothing but black as she reached her target. Suddenly, without warning, Shadow Geist spread out his arms and legs and let loose a searing hot, powerful orb of emerald and black energy. The orb smashed into the brittle rock of the ground and shattered the land surrounding it. The vacuum-like energy sucked into the loose nearby rocks and ripped blades of grass, then slashed them apart in the fury of this attack. Sharon's limp body was tossed back violently as she was struck by this and she crashed against one the canyon walls. Her body slumped downwards, into a corpse-like sitting position, just barely managing to maintain consciousness. 

Shadow Geist grinned within the protection of Death Energy, just until it began to fade away. The black hole of an energy wave melted into nothingness, while the man who cast it, grinned deviously at the woman whom had fallen prey to it. Geist marched over to the stunned Sharon and stopped as he stood mere centimetres from her. The phantom of death kneeled down and smiled at the delirious Sharon, tossing his dark cape back behind his shoulder.

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His gloved hand gripped at her fragile jaw, now smeared with blood. "Was I right, my dear?"

Though she had taken quite a nasty blow, Sharon still had the strength left to mumbled a few words to the Shadow of Death. "I ... won't ... believe it ..."

"Foolish woman." Shadow Geist claimed. "Acting towards me as if your form of killing is any more justified than mine. You obviously don't understand the meaning of death. Nor do you understand the godhood you and I possess. And you'll never be a true god ... a true assassin, until you discover the truth behind the instinct of killing."

__

The god of death pulled his hand from Sharon's chin, and then walked away from her. Sharon's eye (the other one unable to open) watched as Shadow Geist walked away from her. He had actually defeated her.

"W-Wait." Sharon managed to say. "Why don't you-?"

Shadow Geist stopped walking. "Kill you? Finish you off? There is no point in wasting energy on a god that doesn't understand the significance of death. You've set yourself a pedestal and believe yourself to be a true assassin? It's laughable. But I still have faith in your godhood."

Suddenly Shadow Geist swung around, and for the first time in all her life, Sharon actually felt scared, as she looked into his smoulderingly cavernous eyes. It was as if she were staring into the very jaws of destruction. Like she was marvelling at death itself. 

"I have faith that you will come to understand the truth. And when you do, I'll be proud to face you once more. Ha, ha, ha! Let the gods wage their wars and let the feeble masses beneath them tremble!"

Sharon lost her herself in Shadow Geist's outrageous laughter as he walked away, towards the slight gap that led back up to the main road of this deserted area. Though she wanted to get up and wipe that ridiculous grin off his face, there was nothing she could do. Her muscles felt like jelly and her senses were pounding. Whatever that 'Death Energy' technique was, it had taken the steam out of Sharon's engine.

So she could only curse him as her consciousness slowly faded away. "Damn you ... damn you to hell, Shadow Geist..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharon shook her head to get those memories out of her head. She had enough reminders of her defeat as it was. Namely the bruises and cuts she had sustained. It was thankful that an old married couple had come by though. They were passing by after visiting their daughter at a nearly town, and one of them spotted an unconscious Sharon down the small canyon that she had led Shadow Geist to. Naturally the old couple helped her out and Sharon was soon after admitted to a hospital. Since her injuries were not too damaging, she was discharged the following day. 

But Sharon had lost more on that day than just a few scraps of skin. Not only had she been beaten, she lost her perfect record of successful kills and word had gotten out. Suddenly she was less useful to crime lords because it was revealed that she didn't have the power to kill everybody. Which was also probably the reason why Giovanni had been so fervent with offering her work. Perhaps pity? Or maybe it was his way of sneaking her into his bed. No matter what the case might be, Sharon was focussed on two things.

Shadow Geist was one of them, the second was his words. 

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'You and I are similar, my dear.'

'Do you honestly see yourself to be better or different from me because you kill for payment?'

'You'll never be a true god ... a true assassin, until you discover the truth behind the instinct of killing.'

At first Sharon had dismissed his ramblings as just that. Ramblings. But the more she thought about what he was saying, the more it stuck in her head. How different was her killing from Shadow Geist's killing? Did getting paid for it make the job even cheaper? And most of all, was Sharon lacking as an assassin for thinking herself to be 'different' from other killers?

"Am I not," Sharon began. "A true assassin?"

Before she could even search for an answer, the phone went off. Sharon rose up from her couch, then pulled off the towel that had been wrapped around her head after the shower. The redhead ambled over to the phone and held the receiver to her ear.

"Hello?" She breathed in an irritable voice.

The person responding was a blast from the past. "Well, well, well. You sound extremely chipper, Sharon. Please do not stress yourself on my account."

Sharon sighed. "Blair. What exactly do you want?"

"Now, now." Blair offered through the earpiece. "I just heard the news. It seems your legend has spread even all the way here to Europe. But with the good comes the bad. I also heard about your last hit. Ended in failure, I believe?"

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Have you called to gloat?"

"No. Regardless of what you think, earning victory over you is not the centre of my existence."

"Then what do you want? It should be obvious that I'm not in the mood for sister-to-sister chatter right now."

Blair sighed over the phone. "I was thinking maybe you'll want revenge for your defeat."

"I don't exactly see how this is any of your business, but you're right, Blair. I do want to get my own back. But not now. I am in no condition, physical or mental, to face him again. But I will be, all too soon."

"What exactly does that mean?" Blair asked sceptically.

Sharon took a glance at the piece of paper under her job dossiers. It was given to her by Giovanni. And although it looked more or less worthless, it held some valuable information.

"I plan on meeting someone." Sharon supplied.

Blair was still clueless. "Meeting someone like who?"

"I don't know what his real name is. No one does. But I have been told about this man from quite a 'helpful' acquaintance of mine. I will meet with him."

"Who is this person?" Blair repeated.

Sharon's eyes were as cold and as solid as steel when she answered. "His name has been given to me as DOCTRINE DARK."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tokyo, Japan. 

To many, Tokyo symbolizes the power and development that the Japanese government had achieved. What was once the unknown fishing village had become the hub of Japanese industry, tourism and trade. The politics of the yesteryears had led to this by shedding some of Japan's deeply seeded traditions and beliefs. Casting away the old for the new gave rise to the magnificent city that adorned this nation with its beauty. But there were those who did not cast away their beliefs. Those who stayed true to their heritage and continued to use powers that had long since believed to be hidden, or at best, the fragile misconceptions of myth.

One of these men just happened to be in Tokyo right at this point in time. Deep in the seamy underground of Tokyo's Shinjuku district, those who mastered the fist heard the call of blood. On occasion, they would gather in the back streets and stage makeshift fighting tournaments to satisfy their need to wage combat. One of those said tournaments just happened to be taking place at this time. A huddled group of around 20 people watched and jeered in a circle, as two new hotshot fighters tore into each other with their polished fighting techniques. It was the middle of the day, so it was not likely that blood would be shed now. Once the beating sun gave way to the heartless moon, all the gloves would come off. Then heaven help those who were unfit to take part in street fighting.

Within the nameless crowds that gathered around the duelling pair, a very significant man stood and watching the fight keenly. His body was completely swathed in the folds of a long white cloak, concealing him in a veil of mystery. But the darkness of the hood could not hide the burning rage in his flaming crimson eye. 

Like the ever-shifting wind, he blew in from nowhere and made such an impact on the underground fighting scene that people had referred to him as 'the one-eyed demon'. Very few people knew who he was by his given name, but those had met him under the alias of the one-eyed demon had come to know what fear truly was. Under the rage of his taped fists, an unbeaten street fighting record had been made. Not to mention a vicious trail of blood and misery. 

The people surrounding the one-eyed demon were ignorant of his significance, so did not focus on him, rather the street fight that was taking place inside the circle of spectators. A battle that had just been decided. 

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"Ten'el Kick!"

A young woman, clearly of south Asian descent, pulled off a furious flying roundhouse, spinning her leg over her body and around, crashing into the jaw of the unlucky man whom she had been fighting with. The street fighter was tossed into the crowds by the force of the blow and just to rub some salt in the wound, the south Asian woman danced in celebration of her victory. Her hips wiggled swiftly, her arms moved elegantly. Those around smothered the girl in cheers of appreciation for her skill (and in the case of the many males there, her beauty). A old businessman with a satisfied smile walked up to the dancing girl and handed her a bag full of money.

But before he could even get near her, a taller, muscled and toned man stepped in between them. His pointed moustache, tanned skin complexion, and broad muscles stood strong amid the jeers and spectators, the sun gleaming off the gold of his belt. 

"Stop there." He declared in a powerful voice. "What business do you wish to transact with Mistress Pullum?"

The old businessman suddenly felt like a possum compared to this hulking giant. "I uh, just need to give her the money for that wonderful fight. Such skill could take her so far."

The young woman, Pullum Puruna, ended her bounding dance and smiled sweetly, ignoring the crowd's hungry eyes for the time being. She walked up to the businessman, both of her hands clasping together behind her back in a childish manner. 

"No need to be hostile, Darun." Pullum said happily. "He just wants to pay me for the tournament. But I really don't need payment you know. I just want to spread my dance technique all across the world, regardless of money and profit. That's my dream you see."

Darun Mister nodded slowly. "I understand, Mistress."

"So!" Pullum turned back around to the crowds that had surrounded she and Darun. "Does anyone else have a desire to see my dancing skills once more?"

The crowd erupted once more, though no one stepped forward. It seemed that all the street fighters that were operating in this makeshift tournament had been defeated by Pullum and her south Asian dance style. Just when she pouted with this realization, the cloaked figure slowly barged his through the crowds and made his way into the large circle that Pullum and Darun were waiting in. Pullum looked at him curiously while Darun watched his strident movements with great caution. 

This man pulled down the hood of his cloak, to reveal his face. A face so worn by his destiny. A face broad and hard with a soulless passion for fighting. His black hair danced in the slight wind, as did the cloak that flocked around his torso. One of his eyes burned brightly with red hot fire, while the other was absent, slashed away under the streaky scar over the left of his face. The crowd all gasped as this man revealed himself. Talk of the 'one-eyed demon' was not lost on the street fighting community of Shinjuku. And although Pullum and Darun were just passing through Japan on their journey toward America, they had also heard tales of this upcoming young rebel. Even his hometown of Osaka couldn't contain this man's fighting streak. 

This man was Kairi. 

Darun narrowed his eyes. "That is him. The demon from Osaka. The man who we were told of."

"So he is powerful?" Pullum said eagerly, turning her smile toward the dark haired fighter. "I would love to test my dance against a worthy opponent!"

Darun was not so eager. "I do not think that-"

Just that instant, Kairi shifted his stone cold glare at Darun. Though Darun was a full head taller than him, Kairi showed no fear or concern. Quite the contrary. Kairi's demeanour beamed nothing less than sheer contempt. 

"Then perhaps you'll challenge me." Kairi said simply. 

Suddenly the frightened whispers of the crowd turned to jeers again when the grounds for a new fight had been laid to the floor. Pullum watched quietly as Darun narrowed down on Kairi, his glare forced onwards by his desire to protect his mistress.

"I feel great power in you." Darun said respectfully. "So I will take Mistress Pullum's place as your opponent."

The old businessman who had been watching this smiled with glee, then stepped back to give them room to begin this fight between the two of them. "I'll pay for his entry fee!" He said. "It'll be worth it to see the demon in action!"

Darun looked back at Pullum. "Please step back, Mistress."

Pullum just nodded, not questioning Darun's desire to do battle with Kairi. She walked backwards against the crowds and joined them as spectators. Now that their space had been taken care of, Darun looked down at the silent Kairi and cracked his large knuckles. 

"So you are the 'demon' of the Osaka fighting circuit. I was warned of you. I hear that you have an unbeaten record under your belt."

Kairi's response was one of silence.

After which, Darun stopped cracking those powerful knuckles of his. "I suppose that is meaningless in the long run, eh? So be it. We shall fight to resolve this. Rraaah!"

Darun growled fiercely, like a great bear displaying its anger, then charged at the stone faced, emotionless Kairi. The taller man branched out his arm and gathered strength within his fist, then swung that colossal arm at Kairi. The one-eyed demon acted instantly by ducking under Darun's lariat and crouching to the ground. He rolled forward, his cloak and his ponytail spinning around his body as he moved. Kairi and Darun both ended the motions and swung back around to look at each other, their positions now alternated.

It seemed as if Kairi had escaped from the attack without fail, but the smile on Darun's face indicated otherwise. The beige cloak that was keeping Kairi's body obscured seemed somehow loose, a trait reaffirmed as this article slipped free from his firm shoulders. The cloak fell into a limp pile swimming around his ankles, revealing Kairi to his fullest. The crowds marvelled at his body, wracked with elongated scars, both blotted and jagged alike. The only clothing on his body was the reels of tape around his fists and feet, and the sheared white leggings held up around his waist by a red and black belt. Though it seemed like Kairi was just another street punk, his rough clothes saying as much, there was something about him that set him apart from the masses. He was different somehow. Special. Almost ethereal in his ruggedness. 

Darun brought up his fists and narrowed his eyes. Unexpectedly, Kairi seemed a bit more imposing than before. His boots hit the dirt one after the other, as he charged at Kairi once more. Darun extended his massive arms at both sides and brought them back together in an encircling grip around Kairi's upper body. But what Darun thought he had, he didn't. Kairi slipped through this grip before Darun's flesh came within a centimetre of his own, leaping into the air. Darun blinked when he realized his arms were empty, then looked around. His dark eyes stalked back and forth, searching for his opponent, seeing nothing but the crowds. 

Darun continued to look around. "Did that coward run away?"

Of course it seemed that way, until Darun felt Kairi's presence first hand in the form of a fist. Darun yelped angrily as Kairi's punch knocked him senseless. His jaw jerked back, his skin already blemished with a purple bruise. Now that Darun was dazed, Kairi took the initiative and struck once more. Kairi kicked Darun's leg in one swift clubbing blow, sweeping the large man off his feet. Darun crashed to the ground with a jarring thud, sweeping up a wave of dust from the dirty ground. Kairi launched his leg upwards then brought it down vehemently to strike his downed enemy. Darun blocked the axe kick with both of his meaty arms. Grabbing Kairi by the leg, Darun dragged him down in one powerful swing, hurling the demon across the floor. Kairi tumbled to the stone floor and rolled along, just before stopping himself and flipping up into a standing position. 

Darun charged head first at Kairi, his large feet pushing him forward like a raging bull. Kairi gritted his teeth hard, then braced himself as he jumped up over Darun's shoulders. It was a risky move but was preformed successfully, as Kairi bounded over Darun's heavy frame, both legs swinging above Darun, alternating their positions once more. Kairi landed swiftly then turned his body around to meet with Darun. The pony tailed man thrust his fist at the face of the larger Darun, jerking his jaw line back with the blow. Kairi followed that punch with an equally vicious second, then drew back his right hand for a third. Darun caught this fist the moment it was thrown at him, then gripped down hard on it.

Kairi grunted with annoyance but could not free his hand. Darun decided to capitalize on Kairi's predicament and dragged him inward. Kairi was pulled towards Darun sharply with a jerk of the arm and his upper body was nodded downward. Darun laughed with momentum and curled his muscled arms around the bowed Kairi's stomach. Now that his adversary was caught in a deadly grip, Darun launched himself and Kairi up into the sunny morning sky. 

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"Brahma Bomb!"

Kairi was unable to stop the flow of Darun's brilliant contact grappling ability, so could only wait as Darun folded his body in the air to position it, back-first. The necks of those in the crowd (including Pullum) looked up and then down as Darun rose and fell, but Kairi was the one who felt the rage of this attack as his body crashed, along with Darun's legs, into the ground. The pavement below chipped when Kairi's shoulder and upper back were forced into the stone. For a while all was still, even the gasps of the crowds were quieting, till Darun rose up and lightly pushed Kairi's limp legs to the side. 

"Hmmm." Darun mused at the downed Kairi. He didn't expect to get an opening for the _Brahma Bomb_ so early on in the match. Maybe Kairi wasn't as skilled as he had heard. But while Darun believed that the match was over, Pullum's concern grew when she saw Kairi's eyes flash open. 

"Darun!" She yelled. "Look!"

Darun looked back around him as Pullum requested, and saw Kairi rise from the ground, pushing himself up with strong and unfazed arms. Darun gasped in shock as Kairi stood up with a resolution of iron. Though his back had been smeared with dust and ground chips of the pavement, the _Brahma Bomb_, one of Darun's more complicated and powerful moves, had done almost nothing to Kairi. But what was worse, was that Kairi seemed somehow different now. What once was a disposition as cold and as placid as ice, was now fiery and somewhat awakened. Kairi's cool stone glare had become a devilish grin, his fists breaking out in sparks of sapphire. And it might have been a trick of the eye, but it seemed that Kairi's normally raven black hair was flashing a pallid grey every few seconds. 

The air became felt thicker and the sky just seemed to lose a tad of that brightness it held. Kairi's burning eye focused on Darun, while his hands dangled loosely at the sides of his body. He advanced, one step after the other, moving towards the larger fighter in a slow march. Darun altered his curiosity to action and ran for the first strike, aiming to punch the risen man. Kairi grinned with deviousness and sidestepped Darun's punch, his body moving speedily through the air. The demon spun around Darun's heavy frame and was instantly behind him, shifting so fast that the neither the crowd, nor Pullum, could see him move. 

Kairi jumped into the air with his newfound momentum, a circle of dust blowing along the pavement as he made the jump. Darun was still unaware of Kairi's location, and was therefore unable to block any attack that he might cast. Not that Darun would have been able to defend against it anyway. 

__

"Garyu Messhu!"

Kairi screamed his attack then performed it, launching his leg out then descending towards the back of Darun. The large man cried out as Kairi's energy charged foot rammed into his spine with deadly and ruthless accuracy. As Kairi landed he was back on the attack and thrust his knee into the same spot he had struck before. With a snap, Kairi's knee proceeded to rend flesh and muscle, and break bone. Pullum winced with horror as she heard the distinct sound of a snap in her guardian's back. Darun was thrown off his feet and hurled into the crowds. They scrambled to get out of the way and they managed to get the job done, but Darun was not so lucky. The Asian wrestler smashed against the wall of a nearby building, creating a huge imprint. His body drooping to the ground, his energy spent and his body in an even worse condition.

"Darun!" 

Pullum barged through the stunned crowds and past Kairi, then went over inspect the condition of her friend. The crowds looked from the downed Darun then toward Kairi whose smile and bloodlust hit a peak. His raging eye looked upon Darun and Pullum. That rage and glee suffered as Kairi's mind was struck with a pang of guilt. Kairi's smile fell and he clasped his head as wracking pain burned and oozed inside the grooves of a troubled brain. 

"Graaaaaaaahhhhh!!" The beastly cry of the struggling Kairi began to worry the people around, and they backed away from him, frightened at his power and his seemingly outrageous reaction. But Kairi was concerned with none of them, just gripped his head and fell to his two knees, his bloodlust and rage warring mentally with his human conscience. High above that sight, standing on the ledge of a two-storey building, a tall presence stood, watching the fight with his arms crossed and his expectations fulfilled. 

The figure stood in the burning sunlight, that brief darkening of the sky became a thing of the past. His body was dressed in furious and wild armour, colours of brown and blue in the mix, giving him an animalistic appearance. His hands were gloved and his feet sandaled under the material around his legs. One both of his shoulders were plates of more brown armour, both plates shaped with the face of a tortured soul. His face was hidden beneath the protection of a hideous iron mask, his breathing sharp and contained under it. Behind that mask was a wild and outrageous bushel of hair, sweltering and glowing with the faintest shades of white gold. But what was most frightening about this creature was his aura. Unlike anyone or anything on earth. His aura was cloudy and mysterious, but brimming with anger and knowledge that took thousands of years to develop. 

Was he human? Was he a demon?

That was unknown. But was known was his name. A name that struck fear and respect in those whose ears were blessed enough to hear it. 

That name was Garuda. 

"I see. So this is the one who broke the seal." Garuda exclaimed in his slow and powerful voice, looking down toward the ailing Kairi. "He struggles with the Dark Way. But no matter. He will soon be ready to give this body what it needs."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	2. Passage of Siblings

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Battle Two: Passage of Siblings

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sharon watched as a crow, black as the night, flapped towards the iron scaffolding of this seemingly deserted warehouse. It descended near one of the main iron bars, its talons latching on. Some other birds circled the building from the skies, their forms all dark against the crimson sunset that was falling down on the setting. It wasn't long before nightfall, but this was the fastest Sharon could get here. The warehouse she was standing in front of was at least twenty miles away from the city, on the edge of a small principality that had come to be known by the shifty name of 'Black Skull Town'. 

The name came from the murders that had been taking place around this area for the past eight years. Every three weeks, a corpse would be found in this area, lying around in the dirt. The body would be charred and blackened, obviously the result of explosives, and it was almost impossible to tell just whom the person really was due to the damage inflicted on their bodies. After examinations using DNA testing, each person was revealed to have been someone important. Diplomats, Weapons Dealers, Crime Lords. All types of people, rich and poor, strong and weak, had fallen to death around here. But at the most, these people had no connections to each other. Except for one. The fact that they were all on underground bounty lists. 

Sharon had heard legends of this mysterious place, but she had never believed them. After all, the man behind the killings had never been caught even though he operated in this small area. But now she was beginning to believe these stories. From the information she received and the need for it, Sharon doubted that she could disbelieve them. The redhead removed the dark black shades from her eyes and scanned the warehouse. It was covered with makeshift iron scaffolding, the windows of both floors were broken and shattered, bricks were dislodged and the surrounding tracks; dusty. It was hard to believe that someone could possibly live here. But, she trusted Giovanni enough to know that his contacts and information was as solid as ever. If he said that Doctrine Dark inhabited this place, then it was a fact. Sharon began walking forward, her heels clicking against the rocky pathway leading inside the shabby abandoned warehouse. She walked up to the doorway, to see a lock around the doors. Not much of a challenge for Sharon. 

"Yah!"

Sharon thrust a powerful kick at the metal lock, which seemed to do nothing at all, but a short few seconds later, it slipped free from the door, allowing entry. She pushed the doors wide open with both of her slender arms, and a stream of pigeons and moths flew out from the cavernous innards of the warehouse. From the looks of it the place was uninhabitable for animals, let alone a human being. But Sharon's eyes hadn't seen much of that place. It was pitch black inside the warehouse, all Sharon could really make out was the few wrecked machines left at the back of this hall. Sharon walked forwards again, her heart unrestricted by fear. Again her high heels clicked against the ground, but this time the sound came with an eerie echo, the only sound around aside from the brief screech of a rat. Sharon's eyes squinted as she tried to look all-round. It seemed like there was nobody here. But then how could there be when the door was locked from the outside?

Without warning, a sleek and thin metal wire slashed through the air and at Sharon. Bare human reflexes kicked in and Sharon dove toward the ground, rolling forward over the dirty floorboards. The metal wire lodged into the ground like an arrow hitting a deer and remained still for a few seconds. It then snaked back to where it came from, the overhanging darkness of the upper rafters. It was a hard place to look around but Sharon could make out a figure hiding in the darkness. Up near the rafters of the ceiling. That had to be him. The beautiful redhead stood up and smiled with victory. The shadowed figure from up above was crouching along the beam and his voice, obviously muffled by a mask, spoke out to the intruder, Sharon.

"You must have a death wish to trespass on these grounds."

"Doctrine Dark." Sharon reached for her gun behind her waist. "You are the man known as Doctrine Dark, are you not?"

Eight seconds passed. No response was said. A second wire tore through the air at Sharon, this time much faster than the previous one. She didn't have the speed to dodge such an effective use of metal wire, so brought up her pistol in an ill-conceived defence. Reckless or not, it worked, and Dark's wire locked with Sharon's gun. 

Sharon growled as she felt a tugging at the wire. Doctrine was obviously trying to disarm her. But she couldn't allow that to happen. Sharon pulled back in a similar war, pulling her gun as close to her chest as she possibly could. The battle of strength waged on until the older Dame sister saw a twinkle in the darkness above her. Doctrine Dark yelled enigmatically as he lunged at Sharon from above. His gloved hand was brandishing a sharp knife and he used it to slash at Sharon. The redheaded woman leaned back and the knife-blade cut through the metallic wire that was holding her gun in place. It was free, and in the short few seconds of the confusion, the two scrambled to get into better positions against the other. There was a flash of momentum. In the following moments, both were still and silent, and both were in positions to kill the other. The barrel of Sharon's gun was poised at the temple of Doctrine's skull, while Doctrine Dark's fist-knife was ready to impale the nape of Sharon's neck. A stalemate. 

Neither moved an inch. Sharon's bright eyes met with Doctrine Dark's insane cerulean ones. Her mind was focused on what was to happen next, but she also couldn't ignore the awe she felt for this man. He was a brilliant tactician. He must have tied the metal wire to the ceiling's beam and jerked at it to make it seem like he was trying to disarm Sharon. But in actuality he was using this a decoy to distract her as he moved into a better position, from which he could land a killing blow. And it had almost worked. 

Doctrine Dark lowered his knife from Sharon's neck, but did not lower his caution. Sharon was equally careful as she pulled her pistol from Dark's brain. 

"Who are you?" He said. Sharon noted how his cold voice was as cool and smooth as ice. 

Sharon didn't supply her name. "I need your help."

"For what?" He replied.

"I need to understand," Sharon began. "What it means to kill."

Doctrine Dark's morbidly strong azure eyes squinted and widened all at once. The bangs of his blonde hair fell across his forehead as he swung himself around, slowly sauntering in the opposite direction from Sharon. 

"I haven't seen you before. You came all the way to the Black Skull Town just to ask me such a ridiculous question?"

Sharon nodded, ignoring the sarcasm. "Yes."

"Then more fool you!" Doctrine Dark barked. "Why do you even ask me this? And what stops me from slaying you in the same fashion that I have slain others?"

"I ask you this because," Thoughts of the dark and magnificent Shadow Geist came crawling back. "I had an encounter with a man. A very powerful man. And when he spoke to me, he made me question the very notions that I have founded my career and my life on."

Dark looked back at the redhead. "And what might those notions be?"

"The morality of being an assassin."

"Morality?" D. Dark thought about how that sounded in his head. "Do you really believe that you can associate morals with assassination? I think you may be deluding yourself."

Sharon gripped the trigger of her gun when Doctrine Dark became harder to observe in this darkness. "That's what I came here to find out."

Soon D. Dark walked so far back into the shadows of the warehouse that the only thing Sharon could make out was his palpably visible silhouette. But his presence was confirmed with black, awful laughter. Sharon's eyes scanned from one side of this hall to the other when that laughter was echoed throughout it. Somehow she got the slight tingling that she was not being taken seriously. 

"What is so funny?" Sharon yelled aloud. 

"You are!" D. Dark chipped. "Do you really think that I am going to help you reach some new level of understanding? Anyone foolish enough to think that killing can be just under certain circumstances is not even worthy of my contempt."

"Then tell me, Doctrine Dark! Why is it that you kill? I know that your technique is designed specifically to eliminate without a trace!"

Response came after a brief silence. "I am not an assassin. I don't kill for insignificant sheets of paper. I kill because it is my given right. I am one with the darkness. The true power of darkness."

She remembered Shadow Geist saying something like that. That there was a truth in this situation. But what truth? What was it that Doctrine Dark and Shadow Geist seemed to understand about killing that Sharon was unaware of?

"The true power of darkness?" Sharon repeated absently.

Now D. Dark was completely masked by his shadows. "Yes. Can't you feel it? The joys you feel as you are swallowed up by the many leagues of shadow that surround us as we speak? Aren't you thrilled by the power that darkness hands to those who are willing to embrace it? There are those like me who can assimilate themselves so severely with the shadows that they begin to understand the world on a whole new level. The shadows have an infinite amount of words with which to enlighten mortals and I hear these words even now. They tell me I have rights over myself and all those below me as a follower of the darkness. That in itself gives me the right to kill. That is the absolute justification that I have to kill! As a child of darkness, it is my given right!"

Sharon narrowed her eyes. "You are just as insane as Shadow Geist! You're both so deluded with your own gifts that you think you have the right to kill anyone who you choose to!"

Suddenly, Sharon became aware that Doctrine's voice was come from a different direction. "Is that right? Then tell me. What makes you think that you are any different? You say you are an assassin and I assume that you feel killing is validated for accepting payment. But does it really change anything? Why do you think that you are somehow significant? Because you are a woman? Because you detach yourself? Or maybe because you do the opposite and embrace the petty guilt and sadness that mortals feel because of their conscience? How could a self-respecting assassin not know the simple truth that binds all killers?"

"What truth?!" Sharon cried with frustration. "What truth do you have that I don't? What is it that you know? What am I lacking!? Just tell me!"

D. Dark's voice came again. "Foolish, innocent woman. It appears that you are too blind to see it. The grounds for killing is fickle and ever-shifting in the sea of killers. There is only one thing that combines a drop of water in the sea to the rest. The composition of that droplet and the reason it swims with the sea is irrelevant. That drop of water is bound to the sea because it exists there, and for no other reason.*That* is the answer you search for!"

Sharon blinked. "I don't understand what you mean."

"I suppose that you wouldn't. But then after all, how could you possibly understand this notion? You are far too bound to your mortal confusions to even contemplate it! Taah!" 

Sharon's battle senses were alert as she heard the fresh sound of one of Doctrine Dark's battle cries. A thin wire shot out from Sharon's right and she instantly dove to the ground in a forward roll to avoid it. The thin metal wire hit the left wall and fell still, just before a spark or charge passed along the wire itself. Somehow Sharon realized that this charge was explosive and so she dashed forward to escape the blast zone. She was correct in this belief and the spark went off as soon as it hit the wall. The explosion was brief but volatile, so frank and blunt that a small hole had been blown open through the fragile bricks that made up the building. The foundations of the warehouse itself seemed to judder, but both Sharon and Doctrine Dark ignored this. Sharon was far more concerned with her adversary. The woman began running toward the right of this large hall, the heels of her black shoes clicking against the dusty floorboards. The blast had illuminated enough of the hall to shed some light on Dark's location, and she zipped towards it in a powerful stride. 

Suddenly Sharon saw a flash of a twinkle, and she knew that it was Dark's fist-blade. A sentiment that was quickly confirmed as Doctrine slashed at her within this dark place. Sharon dodged and avoided the blade as best she could, it was now obvious that Doctrine Dark was far more skilled in silent killing than she had first believed. Sharon's feet inched her back from these attacks until she realized that she was slowly backing herself up. The woman altered her strategy and flung her upper body backwards, her soft hands touching the dirty floorboards below. D. Dark's knife flew over her midriff, and Sharon capitalized by swinging the lower half of her body along with the rest. D. Dark's head snapped back as his jaw was belted by a skilled somersault kick, that nudged him back at least a metre from the redheaded woman. Sharon flipped her body around and charged D. Dark once more. She swiftly grabbed the waist of his militaristic combat clothing, then lowered her back to the ground again. Doctrine Dark blinked as he was pulled down with Sharon, then hurled 15 feet in the air as the soles of Sharon's feet thrust his body skyward. 

"Graah!"

Dark was tossed clear above by Sharon's _Bermuda Symphony_ throw, and he landed with an equally unruly smash into the fragile wooden surface. Sharon pressed her palms into the ground, then forced her body up into a standing position in a show of strength. She turned back around to Doctrine Dark, then brought out her pistol, aiming it straight for the heart of her attacker. As always, she showed some restraint by keeping her trigger finger as still as a statue, but she was more than ready to fire.

"Heh, heh, heh." Though it was impossible to see, Doctrine Dark was smiling under his mask. He sat up, raising his torso into a sitting position, knowing full well that Sharon was in a position to kill him. 

"The darkness has failed me." He said amused. "Pull your trigger."

Sharon remained still for short seconds, then lowered her gun. In actuality, this was an action that surprised them both. 

"I told you. I'm a professional assassin. I don't kill without a profit. I'm not like you or Shadow Geist."

Dark closed his eyes. "And so you think that because you are different, that makes you better? You still don't understand."

Sharon shook her head. "No. I think I do understand. But I choose not to believe it. Coming here was a mistake. I don't need answers to my questions from anyone else. I have them inside me. I was just too confused to find them, that's all."

The young woman then turned her back to the master of the infinite darkness. "Goodbye, Doctrine Dark."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Kyaaaaaaah!"

Kairi scratched and clawed at his skull as he dejectedly stumbled through the back streets of the mighty Shinjuku. He couldn't believe what he had done that to that large Asian man. Was he really capable of such strength? Was this power the answer that he had been seeking all along? Was this blasted power the root of his lost memories or the key to regaining them? The young pony-tailed man forced his back against the wall of the surrounding building. How had his life come to this? Ambling like a phantom through these dirty streets. Was his life before the collapse of his memories anything like this? Kairi couldn't answer that. At least not now. Not until he found out more. The fighter slumped down against the wall into a sitting position, and observed his surroundings. 

This filthy hole stank of booze and urine. Rubbish littered the jagged pavement like grass. Puddles of water were dotted over the whole alley, ones that had been built up during the current rainfall. Kairi's eyes looked up to that ever shifting sky. In the midst of rain and darkness, the night sky looked almost foreboding. What was once clear blue and soft white was now dull grey and morbid black. And the rain was clear indication that the fates were planning on bringing Kairi a miserable future. This path that he was walking on. Was it the right one? In the end he had no choice but to fight. When battling with other fighters on the streets, Kairi felt a brief tingling. Like the ghosts of his past were scratching to the surface, to remind Kairi of his lost memories. He could recall faint images of three people, a man and two girls, that had such an impact on him. That was the only time when Kairi felt as though he could remember what his background was. When he was fighting.

So the only way to regain his past was to keep on fighting. As soon as the pain and swirling emotions inside his brain calmed down, Kairi inched his body up, his unshielded feet splashing in the puddles of rain. And he was just about to continue walking along, till he saw the silhouette of someone standing at the exit of the alleyway.

A woman.

"Kairi." She said softly. 

Kairi blinked. "Y-You know me? Who are you?"

The ailing fighter tried to study this woman through those cold eyes of his. From the looks of it, she was no ordinary woman. From the robes she was wearing, she was obviously of the Shinto faith. Perhaps a miko? In spite of that, she was definitely significant. And very misplaced in such a place as the filthy back streets of Shinjuku. What could such a woman be doing here? But even more than that, how did she know Kairi's name? The man searched the girl deeper. He looked beyond into her eyes, those silent and powerful eyes. Again, Kairi could not place it, but as he looked upon that woman he felt a twinge of nostalgia. It was as if he knew who this was. There was obviously a connection here. 

The girl stepped forward slowly. "Kairi. We needn't let it end like this. I can help you though this. Please trust me."

Kairi remained cautious. "Who on earth are you? How do you know my name?"

The girl stopped walking, then placed both hands on her chest, probably as a sign of good intentions. "Kairi, do you not remember me? Hokuto. I am Hokuto."

"H-Hokuto?" A flash of pain stormed through Kairi's body again. Suddenly it was as it was before when he had fought with Darun. "Kyaaaaaaah!" 

"Kairi, I..." The girl named Hokuto tried to extend a caring hand to Kairi, but rather than accept it; 

"Stay away!"

Kairi sharply swatted the hand away with his own. Hokuto seemed to be more confused by this than ever, but this confusion ceased and her eyes became far more stern than they were caring. Kairi watched this shift in her demeanour and felt his fighting blood being to boil as the young woman took on a fighting stance. 

"So Father was right." Hokuto exclaimed quickly. "There is no reasoning with you in this state. I did not want to believe it, for the sake of Nanase as well as my own, but I will not deny a fact when I see it."

Kairi briefly looked over at Hokuto. "What?"

"You are my brother." Hokuto said commandingly. "I never had the strength to admit this before but I do love you. And it is because of this that I cannot let you hurt anymore people than you have! I cannot allow you to use the Dark Way and bring anymore risk or suffering to the people that I hold dear!"

Kairi wiped his jaw. "I don't know how you know me, but I don't have any sisters. All I have is myself. Those who mean to fight me are nothing more than obstacles that I must shatter to find my true self. And I have no qualms about defeating any woman who calls herself a street fighter, either. So stand aside!"

Hokuto shook her head. "I cannot do that. I did not want to bring you back by force but I will not relent either."

"Get out of my way!" Kairi growled angrily, as Hokuto stood still before him. His mind was still brimming with the sense of nostalgia as he looked at the girl, but there was no way he was going to allow her to block his passage. The wandering soul let out a fearsome battle cry that echoed around the alley, which was closely followed by his erratic charge. Kairi's taped feet splashed against the darkening puddles as he ran forward, and he branched out his arm to punch at the dark-haired woman. Hokuto remained still until the instant that Kairi came close enough, then grabbed his arm. Kairi was shocked as Hokuto clasped then swung his arm around, allowing the body to follow. His torso was completely flipped around and landed crudely on the ground, Kairi's flesh slapping against another of the dirty puddles forged in the rain. 

Hokuto swung herself around so that she could see Kairi face to face, whist maintaining her fighting stance. Kairi blinked, not even bothering to stand up. It was strange. There was something familiar about that woman's movements. Her style seemed different to those of others he had defeated. It was almost as if he had come across it before. But Kairi couldn't recall the name. What was the name of this 'Hokuto' woman's fighting art. Just as Kairi was about to fumble himself upwards, Hokuto swerved her body around and crouched to the floor, sliding forwards along the ground, leg first. Kairi knew that this was a special attack the moment she screamed, '_Shinkyaku Geki!_' in brief tones. He hopped on to his arms in haste, then thrust himself into the air as Hokuto slid underneath with brutal force. But as Kairi watched her move, forcefully and at the same time, gracefully, he couldn't misplace this feeling of nostalgia. Who was this woman and what was this style she was using? Could she really be ... his sister?

Kairi spun over midair and like a swan on water, landed back to the ground. Hokuto's attack ended swiftly and she came to a stop. The two fighters remained still for a moment, just as if they were worried about what the other might do in response to their next move. Hokuto was the first to break that stillness and she stood back up, turning around to face her brother. 

Kairi was the first to speak, though. "That fighting style of yours. What is it called?"

There was another glint of confusion in Hokuto's eyes, and Kairi took that as her way of saying that he should know that already. But it seemed that she was allowing those memory slip ups to slide when she answered him in return. 

Only one word escaped her lips. "Mizukami."

Once again, Kairi felt that strong sense of nostalgia. That abnormal sensation of being struck with something that was foreign but at the same time, completely a part of who he was. Now there was no denying it. Whoever this woman was, sister or not, Kairi had to have had some sort of connection with her in the past. There was no other possible way for her to illicit such a gut reaction from him. Kairi lost his frustrated disposition and decided that he had to focus with this woman. The renegade brought up his taped fists, close enough to guard his jaw line, then fixed his attentions to Hokuto fully. Hokuto did the same and resumed her own fighting stance. Suddenly the rain that was passing by and the thunder that broke open in the clouds meant nothing to this two. No matter how hard they tried Hokuto and Kairi would always be bound to the chains of destiny. And their destiny, it seemed, was to fight. 

Kairi acted first and jumped up into the rainy, muggy air of the large alleyway. His jump was slanted and therefore moved him towards one of the chiselled stone walls of the neighbouring building. His foot bounded toward it then off it in a split second motion and with that momentum Kairi thrust his body at Hokuto's, extending his leg and tightening his upper limbs. Hokuto was alert enough to see this coming and she brought up her arms to defend herself. Kairi's foot was deflected by Hokuto's guarding arms and her somersaulted backwards in quick thinking action. Hokuto didn't wait for Kairi to acclimate himself as she ran forward, following the movements of her brother step for step. As soon as Kairi's distraction was aiming toward a detriment, Hokuto acted on it. Her body shifted backward with a sliding motion then bent over at her waist and forced out her left leg. Hokuto's right foot pushed her forwards and Kairi was totally unguarded as she came at him with it. 

__

"Shinku Geki!"

Kairi's ribs juddered as Hokuto's lightning fast leg rammed straight for them. The impact was of severe force, enough to smash Kairi's body straight through the unclean glass of the factory window. The glass completely shattered as Kairi was sent sailing through it and into the factory itself, which was now closed for the day. Kairi's body fell still as he touch the hard and cold ground, while Hokuto hopped through the broken window in pursuit of her brother. She came down quickly, and observed the downed man with still eyes. 

"I will not hold myself back, Kairi."

There was a gleam in Kairi's darkening eyes and a smile on his stern face as he replied, "I wouldn't expect you to."

The factory around them seemed to be perfect for this kind of fight, Hokuto noted. It was large and expansive, the machinery was located along the edges of the room and the thunder and rain was just right for drowning out the sounds of whatever that might happen between them. Kairi groaned as his body sat up, the glass around his feet and legs shifting with him. Hokuto watched him stand and ready himself, then followed the idea. Again it was Kairi that acted first but he did not attack his apparent sister outright. The searching rebel bent his knees and tilted his body back slightly, then raised his arms and placed both of his fists together. Hokuto waited for what was to happen next, though it appeared that she couldn't quite tell what he was trying to do. As soon as his taped fists began to jerk with the energy they were gathering, Kairi pulled them both back and yelled 'ha!' at Hokuto. 

It was only through her brilliant training that Hokuto managed to avoid the circling and drilling energy of the _Shinki Hatsudou_. The black-haired woman launched herself skyward and avoided it as best she could, the stray energy briefly singeing the material of her robes. Hokuto descended near Kairi, pushing her leg out and retracting the second. Kairi copied Hokuto's earlier example and sidestepped this aerial strike, then came in full throttle. Kairi landed a searing punch to Hokuto's beautiful face, the younger woman gasping with the snapping speed of it. Kairi followed this punch with a second from the other hand, that struck Hokuto in the stomach. The last blow was a roundhouse kick that connected with Hokuto's neck and shoulder. She slid back from the severity and Kairi withdrew his leg in arrogance, smiling at his less perky sister. No matter how ruined and miserable his current life was, it all seemed irrelevant when he was fighting. The ecstasy of battle was a brilliant trade off from endless months of searching. 

Hokuto gritted her teeth and tightened her fists. There was a strong resolved in her eyes that screamed defiance. If ever there were a woman so fully devoted to the duties placed on her shoulders, it was Hokuto. The girl inched backwards step by step and then charged forward in that sliding motion of hers. As she neared Kairi her elbow was drawn back and then thrust forward at him. 

__

"Chugeki Hou!"

Kairi saw this coming. By now he had caught on to the fact that Hokuto's fighting movements favoured guarding, retreating, then charging. He drew up his leg and Hokuto's elbow slammed against it, nullifying the desired result. Hokuto attempted a second blow with both hands to follow the Chugeki Hou, so Kairi again blocked, this time with both arms. The two were locked against each other for a brief moment, and reflexively they jumped away from each other and put some distance between them. Kairi landed and smiled, his dark ponytail swaying in the breeze that was escaping into the room via the broken window. Hokuto's face was far less cheerful and a bead of sweat appeared at the temple of her skull. Kairi could see that she had been walking around for a while. She was probably not as lively as she normally would be due to this. It made him wonder. Maybe he was the one that Hokuto had been searching for. Which also made him wonder what issues there might be between him and Hokuto. Not to mention the 'Nanase' girl she mentioned.

"I made a promise." Hokuto mumbled to herself. "I have to bring him back home and help him get through this. I have to carry out the mission that was given to me. If not anything else, I must do that."

Hokuto confused Kairi by dropping her fighting stance. But she was not handing in a white flag. More the opposite. Her right arm fell to her side while the left rose up horizontally. Her face and her body remained perfectly quiet, calm and tranquil. It didn't even seem like she was planning on doing anything. But then a curious sounds struck Kairi's ears. It was a strange sound, like someone was drawing back the tense string of a bow. Kairi didn't see the energy blast the came, but he sure felt it as a flare of missile-like energy struck him. Kairi grunted with surprise as the speedy _Kiren eki _energy bolt collided with his stomach. A stream of energy tagged allow Kairi's trail when he was knocked off his feet and blasted into the tall factory wall behind him. His back hit it with a ferocious slam that echoed around the room, and a trail of blood slipped from his slightly parted lips. Hokuto watched as Kairi loosely slipped downwards to the ground, then gathered oxygen for herself. It was obvious to anyone that she hated having to do this. She physically winced when she saw the blood on Kairi's face. But she remained firm.

"Kairi." Hokuto spoke her brother's name slowly, her breath far weaker due to the strain of the _Kiren eki_. "Please stop this."

Kairi's bloodstained lips curled into another smile. Hokuto would have paid more attention to what he was saying if she wasn't so consumed with the dark vacuous energy that was surrounding his body. "I knew pulling my punches would lead to this." 

Hokuto was aghast. "What on earth ...?"

Dark and ancient energy began to rapidly flow through his changing body, making firm each tendon and ligament that happened to be strewn about his body. The bones located underneath flesh and muscle now hardened and his scars began glowing with the same evil light that had enveloped his body. Kairi limply stood upright. Though it may have seemed like he was vastly weakening, Kairi had never been stronger. Or as dangerous. 

The limpness in Kairi's disposition melted into firmness, as the energy around him began to subside. The dark energy washed away like so many regrets and what was left was a Kairi that would be changed forever. The most noticeable of these changes being Kairi's hair. The flowing black tresses that had once decorated his head and capture the heart of many a woman, was now the colour of soulless grey. The other were his hands. Both of his taped hands were now set alight, his fingers encased in furious dancing blue flames. Kairi spread out both of his arms so they extended to either side of his body and Hokuto's eyes burned with shock. 

__

'I can feel my heart pounding in my chest!' Hokuto thought urgently. _'This is the Dark Way that I was warned of. I was too late to save him.' _

Kairi's voice suddenly soundly a lot more striking. Even his vocal chords had been effected. "The last of the seal has finally been broken. This power is now... mine."

Hokuto was far too shocked to notice Kairi pounce on her. But it was so swift a movement that she would have been hard pressed to track it anyway. Kairi launched himself at Hokuto and the younger woman cried out as she felt herself being pushed to the ground. Hokuto collapsed, noticing that Kairi had mounted her. He pulled back his flame-encased fist and struck, punching his sister across the face with demonic fury. Hokuto cried out as Kairi proceeded to pummel her, one punch after the other, battering her head like a madman. During the micro seconds between each punch, Hokuto looked up into her brother's eyes. They were not normal. Not the absent, caring eyes of her dreamer of a brother, but the cold relentless eyes of a vicious beast. Kairi ended the chain of punches and grinned. His fists stained with the blood of his own sibling. He did not end it though. Rather he grabbed two handfuls of Hokuto's hair (one in either hand) and dragged Hokuto's head up and then slammed it back down. Kairi repeated this process over and over till a dent formed in the area where the ground met Hokuto's skull. It was a horrible sight to see. Kairi wasn't even fighting like a human being anymore. He was acting more like a wild animal. 

Moments later, Kairi dropped Hokuto's head. The girl had already lost consciousness. Kairi slowly pulled himself off the girl while his hands still burned with those sapphire flames. But something happened. The one-eyed demon looked down at Hokuto. She was limp and beaten, her hair tousled and her headband ripped from her forehead. It was not guilt, but something stirred inside Kairi from seeing that sight. Suddenly those rushing rivers of the past that had been dammed were breaking free. And the stream of water or memories were now becoming visible in his mind. Images started to appear. Laughter and smiles could be seen. 

__

'Hey Kairi! Hokuto! You guys can't catch me!'

'Stop playing these games, Nanase. We are supposed to be training right now.'

'Ah, don't spoil the fun! You're too miserable, Hokuto. Big brother, I'm right, aren't I? Hokuto is really uptight!' 

Suddenly he realized who this woman was. She wasn't lying at all. She really was his sister. "H-Hokuto ... Nanase ... My sisters ... Kyaaaaaaaaah!"

The grey-haired Kairi clasped at his skull and cried out again. Just as he had done with that south Asian pair before. Those painful throbbing sensations within his mind had made a roaring return. Abruptly this place seemed so confining. He had to get out. Kairi ran towards one of the unbroken windows and smashed straight through it. Left behind was Hokuto, her lips soiled with blood and her eyelids shut. Though it appeared she was on her own, there was another there. Someone who had watched the fight between the two siblings take place. Three green flames danced around his body in the darkness. It was Garuda. 

"So it has begun." He said with power. "The seal is completely destroyed. The only thing left is to end this body's existence with the new child of the Dark Way. Of course, the boy isn't the only one with the power..."

Garuda looked over at Hokuto. Though she was unconscious, the illumination of her hands was not avoidable. And at those soft hands appeared small but obvious twin flames, glowing a reddish-purple in contrast to Kairi's sapphire blue. 

"There are now two heralds to the power." Garuda claimed. "But the boy has fallen much deeper into the void of it. Only he will be able to give me what I desire most. The time to end my eternity has come."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


	3. Passage of Eternity

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter Three: Passage of Eternity 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Uhhh ... Myaa ...!"

The businessmen and women, young and old alike, all scrambled to one side in the thin narrow pavement of the Shibuya district. They watched with concern, worry and confusion as the struggling Kairi pushed and shoved his way down the street. Kairi's head tilted downwards as he strolled idly, his ponytail of now grey hair thrown over his shoulder. Drips of clear sweat fell from Kairi's hot face in droplets to the stone pavement, his eyes rolling and his senses pounding. Waves of agony stormed through his mind with every step he took, and the stress it took upon his body was felt every breath he drew in. Something had changed inside him, something had almost been 'born' in Kairi. That entity was the enormous power he had claimed. But it struggled inside. Struggled against the things that Kairi used to hold dear more than anything. 

__

BREAKER OF THE SEAL. 

Kairi's head rose. The people around him either tried their best to ignore him or make quick snappy comments about how odd he looked. But nonetheless, Kairi was far more concerned with the voice that had spoken into his already stressed mind. 

Kairi's voice already presented the stress he was feeling from all his troubles. "Who are you?" 

OUR TIME HAS COME, SEAL BREAKER. 

Again, Kairi heard that voice in his head and his ears. Who was it that could speak with him on such a level? Surely someone who could probe and connect with his mind must have been a fighter?

Kairi's own voice became louder. "Who are you? Where are you?!"

KEEP MOVING ALONG. KEEP WALKING. WALK TOWARD YOUR DESTINY.

It may have seemed to other like madness for someone to listen to any voices that appeared in one's head. But for Kairi it was not madness. There was an instinct that was throbbing inside him now. Stronger than the will to exist was the will to fight. Augmented by the dark forces that were now plaguing his body, Kairi's fighting instinct chose to follow this voice and seek it out. Deep inside his body, deep inside his soul, he could feel that the one who commanded that voice was a shell that was bursting with power. A creature who so transcended the mortal notion of strength that only Kairi himself had the right to challenge it. 

The grey-haired demon steeled himself, pulled his body up from its slouched position and kept walking toward the direction from which the voice. Onward and onward he walked. Down the street and around the buildings in his way. Through market stalls and across vast parks that people had seen fit to create in this immense city of Tokyo. Minutes soon became hours. And before long the sun had fallen again to its sister, the moon. Beneath the beauty of the clear night skies and the stars adorning it, were the vast clear plain grasslands of outer Tokyo. And stalking within those fields of endless grass was the ailing Kairi. His feet ached with the walking, his limbs tired from carrying such a weight through such a distance. But the ravenous beast that hungered for battle felt soothed and rejuvenated the moment Kairi's eyes caught sight of that spectacular being that had summoned him. 

Kairi looked over at the creature. Was it human or demon? There was little he could do to answer that little query, but what Kairi did have was the motivation to confront it. 

"You." Kairi said indignantly. "Are you the one who has called me here? Are you the one whose voice I heard?"

The creature looked back. He then turned his whole body around, and faced with the masterful Kairi. His yellow belt blew in the ever changing wind, his wild hair frayed, and his heart more ready and more prepared than ever. Kairi looked up this demon man in the same way that people had been looking at him. Never before had he seen such a living being. It made Kairi wonder what he looked like underneath that protective metal mask. 

Or was that his true face?

Nevertheless... "Answer me! Are you the one?! Or is your presence another fragile dream I have constructed from living this life? Well? Speak!"

A voice came from the metal of the creature's mask. Although it wasn't hindered or muffled from speaking against metal. His speech was as bright and as vivid as ever you could imagine it to be.

"Is life a dream? Is reality an illusion? Are there an end and a beginning? There is only one thing I can be certain of ... time catches up to everyone."

Kairi narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

"In the past I have been referred to as _Garuda_."

Kairi let the name roll of his tongue. "Garuda?" 

"I can sense that great power boiling within you." Garuda said, ignoring Kairi's brief bout of question. "The seal has finally been broken. And now the flames of our ancestors will at last burn again through our own hands. By defeating the successor of Mizukami you have assured yourself a place in the _Battle of the Flame_."

"What are you talking about?" Kairi asked agitatedly. 

"It doesn't matter. If all goes well here then I won't live to see it. You have no idea what eternity means, but I do. And now that the seal is broken, the Dark Way free, I need but only end this existence once and for all. But only in battle can I reach _Meifamudou_. So you should easily be able to understand what I want from you."

Kairi grinned, though it was not his intention to do so. "I see. You want a death match."

"Correct." Garuda supplied. "Now. Let the cold anger of your power roam free on the battlefield and attack me. Once this is all over, the passages toward heaven and hell will be open to us both."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sharon's silver-tipped car parked in the slight parking space left in front of her apartment building. As soon as she was parked, the redheaded woman pulled the shades from her eyes and opened the door, stepping outside. She locked the door to her quiet expensive looking car and walked over to the double revolving doors that led inside her building. Though it might have seemed as if Sharon had learned nothing from her encounter with Doctrine Dark, she really had acquired something. And at the end of the day, it seemed so obvious to her now. Whatever anger was clouding her head was starting to evaporate before it became too large to control. Now Sharon was focused on only one more goal, that she had to take care of under any possible circumstances. 

Just as Sharon put her fingers on the clear glass of the front doors to push them open, she realized that someone was watching her. The assassin pulled her bangs to the side and looked toward her right. And as it turned out, she was being watched. But the watcher was making no bones about his actions. Sharon took a second to observe him. Dressed in a smooth white suit and pinkish hat, this man was so large and muscular. His face was obscured by the rim of his hat and the largeness of his sideburns. The lapel of suit held a small flower, a lily, and locked within his meaty gloved hands was a rather seasoned-looking baseball bat. 

Sharon stared oddly at him. It was strange, very strange, but somehow she knew that this man was connected to someone she knew. 

"Can I help you?" She asked him.

The large man tapped his bat against his shoulder. "You wouldn't happen be Sharon, would ya?"

"Who is asking?"

"I thought so." He said with a smile. "That's just the reaction Blair said you'd have. The name is Jack."

__

"I thought so. So this guy knows Blair, huh?" Sharon thought privately. "Blair sent you? Why?"

Jack tipped his hat downwards. "She said ya might need some extra muscle behind ya when take on the guy who beat ya before. Truth is, I think she was just worried about ya."

Sharon sniggered impolitely. "And I think you are a little confused. Blair and I don't exactly have the most tender and caring of relationships."

"Yeah, well..." Jack rolled his eyes. "That ain't the only reason I'm here. After I help you out, I'm heading back home. So hopefully this'll be quick."

That was a shock. Blair actually had sent this guy to help her. But why? Sharon and Blair were sisters after all, but they had never really seen eye to eye. Where Sharon preferred to earn her money and work hard at her career, Blair got by on their family's riches and prestige. In some respects they were polar opposites. So why would she send this Jack character to help her. Maybe it was her way of sending an insult. Of claiming that Sharon needed a 'helping hand' to take care of her own issues. 

"I don't need any help." Sharon claimed. "Not from you or Blair. So if this is her way of having a joke at my expense you've wasted your time."

Jack sweatdropped. "Uh... I think Blair is pretty serious on this one. She didn't seem like she was screwing around to me. But hell, she probably just wanted me out of her way for a while. Blair Dame can be one moody chick when she wants to be. I'll never understand what makes her head tick." 

Sharon turned to face Jack fully. "Why exactly are you doing this for my sister?"

Jack's smile became a serious expression. "Because I owe her. Much as I hate to admit it, she helped me out of a tight position a while back. I don't work for anyone anymore. I'm just helping her out so we'll be 50/50." 

"I respect that." Sharon said, lowering her guard a bit. "But you need to understand something. I don't require anyone's help. I just learned something about myself yesterday, and because of that I know I'm ready to face my next challenge head on."

"You learned something?" Jack said idly.

"Yes." Sharon gave off a small smile. "I don't exactly know why I'm telling you this since we just met, but I've been fooling myself recently."

"Not that I really care, but how so?"

Sharon thought back. "I'm an assassin. I kill. That is who I am. But I never regarded myself as a killer. People who murder for no reason do not hold my respect and I assumed that I was somehow different from them because I kill for money. But in truth, I am no different from them. Life isn't so tangible that the taking of it can be justified under a certain circumstance. I had to figure that out to understand why I lost."

Though she was unaware of it, Sharon was talking more to herself than Jack. "I finally came to understand that after I met Doctrine Dark. His words made sense to me, even though to other people they might have seemed to be the quips of a lunatic."

"What did this guy say?" Jack asked.

"He said _'The grounds for killing is fickle and ever-shifting in the sea of killers. There is only one thing that combines a drop of water in the sea to the rest. The composition of that droplet and the reason it swims with the sea is irrelevant. That drop of water is bound to the sea because it exists there, and for no other reason'. _I really was confused by that at first, but now I know what he meant. There is only one single truth that binds all killers, and that is the simple fact that they kill in the first place. That was what Doctrine Dark meant. That was the 'truth' that Shadow Geist claimed that I lacked. And I hate to say this but Shadow Geist was correct. I am no different from him as a killer. Whether it's for or money or enjoyment or power, murder is all the same. Morality really does have no place in assassination. But though I accept this, I refused to believe that I am classed in the same category as Shadow Geist. I know that I am a better person than the likes of him, no matter what similarities we share. So I will face him again to prove this to him and to myself. I won't make this out to be something it's not. This is a vendetta and nothing more. But that, by and of itself, is the only thing I will need to understand."

"Uh..." Jack tipped his hat again. "Okay..."

And from that, Sharon smirked. "I really don't expect you to understand what this all means. Men never really do make good listeners anyhow."

"Hey, don't take me for granted!" Jack said in his defence. "I'm a lot stronger than Blair gives me credit for. Besides, I prefer to settle things with action not talk."

"So you say." Sharon looked over to the glass doors again. "Do you have a place to stay?"

Jack grinned. "Are you offering?"

"Don't misunderstand me. I just want to know more about what Blair is up to. She seemed far too hospitable when we last talked. So come on, before I change my mind."

Sharon pushed the glass doors open, and walked inside. Jack continued to smile, once again tapping his bat lightly on his shoulder. He was shocked that Sharon had agreed to let him stay here for a while. Just like Blair did. But he guessed that these sisters had a habit for reluctant hospitality. The tall man walked through the doors and followed Sharon, as she made her way up to her apartment. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Taah!" 

Taped fists blocked against and collided with large gloved ones as Kairi and Garuda exchanged blow after blow with each other. The winds around them blew with even more rage than usual, the birds in nearby trees fleeing from fear. Aside from the frightened screams of crows and passing vultures, the only sounds that could be heard were the cries of two fighters doing their best and their worst to outdo the other. 

Kairi's head rolled back and away as Garuda's crossing fist swung over it. Though Kairi could see the motion as best he could, to the naked eye of a normal person that punch would seemed invisible. The one-eyed man slid away and tried to recover some ground. Kairi back stepped and retreated while Garuda remained calm and still. While Kairi gained the distance he so desired, he observed Garuda. This was such a furious fighter. Though his fighting stance seemed restrained enough, his fists shook as he was fighting to keep his body under control. Had he not been embroiled in a fight, Kairi might have come to question the humanity of Garuda. 

But there was no need for that now. Kairi finally stopped back stepping as he reached with twenty metres separation from Garuda. The grey-haired monster growled fiercely, like the animal he was becoming with each breath he took, and pushed his fists together. Seconds later he drew them back and a swirling orb of lavender energy appeared right before the target. Garuda instantly drew up his fists and blocked against the blow, the energy from Kairi's _Shinki Hatsudou _drilling away at the coarse blue and brown fabric of his bracers. Garuda pulled back his fists and subsequently smashed the _Shinki Hatsudou_ to pieces, the ball of energy falling in brilliant glints of crystalline lilac. That second, Kairi screamed as he came down from above, his one leg projected downwards with the other one clung to his body. Garuda grabbed Kairi by the leg, mere seconds before he was hit, then brought him around with one powerful swing, with a snap release. Kairi was literally ripped from his momentum and hurled from Garuda's hands. The young man gripped his fists as he flew through the air and flipped over, mid-flight, to regain his composure. Kairi's taped feet landed in the dirty grass below and shortly his travel came to a stop. 

Before Kairi had the chance to even acclimate himself to his new re-positioning, Garuda came careening in like a raging bull, slamming his might fist square in the gut of Kairi. Kairi's eye squinted in surprise and shock as he felt Garuda's strike rob him of his breathing wind. He not expected that Garuda would also have a form of instantaneous movement. Garuda swung his leg around and his foot cracked against Kairi's skull. The blow knocked the boy off his feet and onto his back, the friction of his slide weathered by the damp grass. 

"Byaaah!"

Garuda cried another radical battle cry and vaulted into the air with all the speed and grace of an eagle. He soared higher and higher until he was at least twenty feet from ground level, and came crashing down, his feet poised to strike and his body ready to sustain any possible damage from a counter. Kairi looked upwards to see Garuda coming down with fury. The boy frantically rolled to the side and kept rolling while Garuda's sandaled feet collided with the ground. A wave of dust rose up along with loose clumps of earth and Kairi knew full well he could use that to his advantage. He hurled himself up on two feet with a flip of the body, then charged the small cloud of dirt that was barely surrounding Garuda. There was a sound that could be heard in the cloud, like the sound of something being rent by metal. Then suddenly two sharp and barbarous-looking spikes surged from the cloud of dust. Kairi acted on sheer impulse and jumped into the air to avoid this. After they hit their apex, both spikes were quickly sucked back into the dust cloud from whence they came. Kairi blinked as he landed near the clearing cloud of dust. That burst of metal could not have come from Garuda, could it? Whether or not it did, Kairi did not waste time debating it. The dust cloud soon disappeared and faded into nothingness, while Garuda ran from its remains toward Kairi. 

Kairi growled and brought up his fists as Garuda swung another of those lightning-fast punches at him. Garuda followed this up with a second, a third and a forth, each of which Kairi somehow managed to block or avoid. Garuda advanced and Kairi backed up as this barrage of well timed punches and skilled dodges continued. Garuda threw one last punch, far stronger than his previous one. Kairi swiftly ducked under it, a blade of his hair sliced off by the wind resistance. He crouched to the ground and swept with his right leg, knocking against Garuda's ankles. The demon-human was not felled but he did stumble. Kairi rose up, took his opportunity and landed a searing punch to the metal of Garuda's mask, his ghastly head jerking back from the force. 

Garuda groaned and stepped away, while the relentless Kairi attacked once more. Kairi's foot smacked against that metal mask once more, as did two successive punches. Kairi back flipped from Garuda once this damage had been done, and landed in a crouched position. His face could not have had more of a feral and animalistic grin on it. Even the sapphire flames that scorched his fists seemed to grow in brightness from his newfound advantage. Garuda shook his head for a second, seemingly to get his wits together, then recovered his fighting stance in slow movements. Kairi really could not tell what his expressions were thanks to that iron mask, but he could somehow sense that Garuda was smiling. 

Kairi ran forward toward Garuda and threw another flame-covered punch. Garuda batted Kairi's fist away with the side of his wrist and pushed out his stomach, arching his back and pulling back his shoulders. Two spikes, similar to the ones that had appeared before, burst out from the ridges of Garuda's armour and thrust forward. Kairi was too close to avoid them again, and shrieked darkly as one of the spikes grazed the flesh of his left side. The spikes sunk back into Garuda's body with a hint of blood and Garuda capitalized by striking back. Kairi's head was rocked as Garuda's gigantic fist smashed against his jaw. Garuda landed two more blows straight for the gut, then finished off the combination with a final uppercut. Kairi's head lulled back and his feet rose from the grass as the full force of Garuda's uppercut was felt. The brother of Hokuto regained his control before long though, and landed back to that wet grass. Garuda came at Kairi again. He jumped from the ground and landed a brutal kick at Kairi's chest, followed by two more that hit Kairi in the exact same place with the exact same force. This, Garuda used as a platform to leap backwards, and he propelled himself to a retreating position. Kairi growled with frustration after being forced off his feet again and onto his back. Garuda landed swiftly and kept still, watching Kairi intently and anticipating his next move. When it became clear that Kairi had sustained more damage from the _Shuga_ and the _Kyoja_ than first thought, Garuda's body eased and his hands lowered. Sparks of green began to flicker around his torso, and these soon broke into vibrant and bright flames of emerald green. 

Kairi shook the cobwebs out of his head and stood up. The blood that was oozing from his wound was not too much of a hindrance. But when he did look over at his more-than-worthy adversary, Kairi was stunned to see three flames dancing around his riotous body. Each one burned strong, each one acted independently from Garuda's body. But they were not free of him. They were a physical manifestation of the raging power that flowed free throughout his grim body. While Kairi admired the jade fire, Garuda slowly bent his legs and performed ancient hand movements. The simple flames that had come to represent the power of Garuda were now displaying it. As the hands of Garuda slowly move in the air, the three green flames left his person and headed for Kairi. The man in question was vigilant. The spiritual power leaking from the _Soukondan _energy blasts was slow and plodding, but vast and enormous. Kairi drew his fists together and pulled them back.

"Taah!"

Kairi fired another _Shinki Hatsudou_ but this time it was aimed at the _Soukondan_. Though the sparkling amethyst energy ball held off the three flames, the _Soukondan_ soon broke through the _Shinki Hatsudou_ and continued its journey toward Kairi. The boy brought up his arms to cover up face knowing that it was too late to avoid the upcoming blow. And he was right. Kairi howled in agony as his body was hit by Garuda's attack. The tape around Kairi's hands were burnt off, the wound at his waist no exuded more pain, and the skin of his wrists were singed. Kairi crashed face first into the ground as the _Soukondan_ faded away, his body falling limp. Though he had expected Garuda to be strong, he never suspected that he would have an attack like that. Garuda watched the fallen Kairi. Though others might have been arrogant enough to assume that had earned him victory, Garuda was not so naïve. The masked warrior brought up his guard again and waited for Kairi's next attack. 

Kairi slowly opened his eye. And when he heard a dripping sound, he knew that it was the wound at his waist. Losing blood meant losing energy. He had to do something or else this battle would end with his defeat. But what was there for him to do? Garuda was clearly stronger than he was at this point. The only thing Kairi had in his favour was a speed advantage. But when he faced an enemy whose body could protrude jagged spikes at any given moment, speed was less of a comfort. Kairi growled like an animal again, his now bare hands clawing at the grass and soil. All this power, all this strength and yet somehow there was still someone stronger out there. Did unlocking this almighty power mean nothing? Did all his effort and struggle to control it mean nothing?

Kairi lowered his head. The band that had been tying his ponytail together fell off and his long grey hair was soon splayed out over his back and shoulders. Kairi slowly dragged his legs and heaved his upper body up via his two arms, and ambled into a crouching position. With great effort, he hoisted his body up onto two feet, his back to Garuda. Kairi stood perfectly still for a moment, then clutched both his fists. The sapphire flames that had started to fade for a moment were now back and burning more brightly than ever. As Kairi's head turned around to looked over his shoulder at Garuda, there was something in his eye. An instinct. It wasn't an instinct that Kairi had been to familiar with in his previous life. But now he had it, it felt like it had been there all the time. Just buried, is all. That was the instinct of bloodlust. Whatever fragile sanity that Kairi had been tenuously cling to had just now been shatter with the realization of Garuda's power. All that was left was this burning desire to win. To destroy anyone or anything that got in his way. And right now the only thing standing in Kairi's path was Garuda. 

Kairi turned around fully to look at the distant Garuda. For all the mid-fight victories that Garuda had scored so far, he was not the least bit over-confident. The sign of a true warrior. The old Kairi would have respected that. But the current Kairi didn't give a damn anymore. There was only one thing on his mind. And there was only one thing he cared about right at this moment. The one-eyed demon put his hands together, pressing out his palms. Energy began to flow through him swiftly and violently, akin to the raging water that smashed through narrow rivers. Kairi's bare and grazed feet stamped into the ground while the locks of his grey hair began to dance against a new eastern wind. And after one wave of impetus passed through Kairi, a physical one was emitted from his hands. 

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

A gargantuan beam of pure azure force was released from Kairi's open palms. The massive blast tore through the air and burnt open a huge trench in the ground as it shot for Garuda. Garuda himself looked on with shock to see himself and the surrounding area about to become engulfed in that colossal surge of energy. He did all he could, raising his arms and guarding to the best of his ability, but it was no use. The _Shouki Hatsudou_ enveloped Garuda and the ground around him till it was impossible to see any trace of either. The attack continued for some time, especially considering how much energy it must have taken to perform it, but this weight was soon felt on Kairi's shoulders. The young man lowered his palms and collapsed onto the ground, unable to maintain the blast any longer than he had been doing. And as the dominant sound of the _Shouki Hatsudou_ vanished to the wind, the damage done to the area could been seen on every level. Garuda was down. But where Kairi was on his stomach, Garuda was on his back. The plates of armour over his shoulders and around his waist had been fused into lumps of blackness, like rigid charcoal. The damage had been felt on the landscape too. Starting in front of the downed Kairi was a trench, that was at least two metres in width. It passed on from Kairi all the way down to Garuda and continued past him for another eighteen metres ahead. All in all the blast range of the Shouki Hatsudou was 2x36 metres. 

Kairi groaned, minutes later. Though that blast had absorbed most of his energy, he had never felt stronger. The flames were now gone from his fists. They had vanished. And had been replaced by a golden glow around Kairi's upper body. Garuda rolled over and watched Kairi, his body weakened too badly to fight anymore. This was the result he wanted. To die in battle. But to Garuda's horror, no killing blow was it sight.

"Boy..." Garuda mumbled feebly. "End it..." 

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

But Kairi was too far gone into his own power to listen to anything Garuda had to say. The world was no longer safe now. The last, the ultimate seal that had bound away Kairi's power had been broken with his greatest victory. Now there was nothing that was stopping him from descending into the demonic madness his sister had been so desperate to keep him from. 

This was the rebirth of Kairi. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All I want

All I need

Always lies just out of reach

I've been coming up empty

I've run as fast

As I can run

I've pushed as hard as anyone

Still there's nothing for me

And I want- I've tried as hard as I can

And I need- I've taken all I can stand

And I fall- but I am running a race 

Against myself

Burning out

Strung along

Now my sorrow is my song

My whole world is half-hearted 

For my pain

I have none

After all is said and done

Now I'm back where I started

And I want- I've tried as hard as I can

And I need- I've taken all I can stand

And I fall- but I am running a race 

Against myself

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Kaiser's afterthoughts 

* End of Part 1 of the _Izayoi_ series. Part 2 is _Resolve of Nanase_. 

* The song _'Race Against Myself' _is taken from the album _'Splinter'_ and is property of the Offspring. I claim no ownership of it. 


End file.
